Pubs gearing up for a busy summer ahead of the World Cup

PUB chain Spirit expects a sizeable bump in summer business as it winds up for the World Cup kick-off.

PUBLISHED: 00:01, Wed, Jun 11, 2014

Pub chain Spirit are gearing up for a busy summer ahead of the World Cup [GETTY]

Spirit, which owns more than 1,000 British pubs, with brands including Chef & Brewer and Fayre & Square, is also banking on fine weather to improve its returns in the summer.

Extra TVs have been installed in some pubs and menus have include World Cup-themed offerings, although some of its food-focused pubs will shun the tournament altogether as they focus on drawing the dining public.

Spirit posted a 6 per cent sales increase and a 5.3 per cent rise in profits during the three months to May.

Rival pub chain and brewer Fuller’s has spent £7.3million to buy 51 per cent of Stable Pizza and Cider, a craft cider and pizza group in the South-west.

The Stable chain started out with one Dorset pub in 2006 and has since bought five other outlets.

Fuller’s chief executive Simon Emeny said his chain would run the business at “arm’s length” while helping them open new sites.

London-based Fuller’s operates mainly in the south and recently bought pubs in Portishead, Bristol and Bath.